I can at present detect is this—the name of Lord George Kerr, son of the Marquis of Lothian, should be added to your list of the Patrons of the Old Surrey Players; for, his lordship lived in the midst of them at Farnham; and, I have often heard Beldham say, used to provide bread and cheese and beer for as many as would come out and practise on a summer's evening: this is too substantial a supporter of the Noble Game to be forgotten.'
I resume, from The Cricket Field: 'Lambert was also good in every point. In batting, he was a bold forward player. He stood with left foot a yard in advance, swaying his bat and body as if to attain momentum and reaching forward almost to where the ball must pitch.
'Lambert's chief point was to take the ball at the pitch and drive it powerfully away, and, said Mr. Budd, "to a slow bowler his return was so quick and forcible, that his whole manner was really intimidating to a bowler." Every one remarked how completely Lambert seemed master of the ball. Usually the bowler appears to attack, and the batsman to defend; but Lambert seemed always on the attack, and the bowler at his mercy, and "hit", said Beldham, "what no one else could meddle with."
'Lord Frederick was formed on Beldham's style. Mr. Budd's position at the wicket was much the same: the right foot placed as usual, but the left rather behind, and nearly a yard apart, so that instead of the upright bat and figure of Pilch, the bat was drawn across, and the figure hung away from the wicket. This was a mistake. Before the ball could be played Mr. Budd was too good a player not to be up, like Pilch, and play well over his off-stump. Still Mr. Budd explained to me that this position of the left foot was just where one naturally shifts it to have room for a cut: so this strange attitude was supposed to favour their fine off-hits.'
Mr. Wheeler in Sportascrapiana, which is a joint
